The rice industry has had a win with the establishment of a new research and development organisation.
Rice Breeding Australia has been set up to push forward the development of varieties specifically suited to Australia's unique rice-growing conditions.
In particular, officials in the entity say there will be a focus on water use efficiency to aid rice production on the world's driest inhabited continent.
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Rice Breeding Australia is a joint venture between AgriFutures Australia, the SunRice Group and the Ricegrowers' Association of Australia (RGA).
It will work in conjunction with the rice industry's five year strategic plant for R&D.
Ambitious targets have been set, with RBA looking to develop advances that allow Aussie growers to produce 1.5 tonnes of rice per megalitre of irrigation water within five years.
At present, the industry's best performance has been around a tonne per megalitre.
Former Grains Research and Development Corporation managing director Steve Jefferies will step into the role of inaugural RBA chairman.
He said he hoped to bring a hard commercial focus to rice breeding in this country.
"The aim of Rice Breeding Australia is to provide new energy and a commercial focus to rice breeding so
that it can be a key part in achieving the major transformation in water productivity and ultimately be an important contributor to the long-term viability of the Australian rice industry", Dr Jefferies said.
He said RBA would operate out of the nation's rice growing heartland in NSW's Riverina, where over 998 per cent of the country's rice is grown.
"Rice Breeding Australia is committed to the long-term future of the Australian rice industry and as such it plans to remain based in the heartland of the Australian rice industry in the Riverina region in southern NSW", he said.
Reflecting the climate in the Riverina along with better water use efficiency Dr Jefferies said there would be significant work going into helping crops manage the cold.
"The company will continue to develop new rice varieties for all Australian rice production areas and will do this from this base".
Georgina Pengilley will be the organisation's first chief executive.
Dr Pengilley has significant experience in the ag R&D sector, most recently with NSW DPI as the leader of pulse and oilseed research for the state's northern division.
Other directors of Rice Breeding Australia are David Keldie (SunRice Group), Graeme Kruger (RGA), and
Roseanne Healy (AgriFutures Australia).